Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviours: Eclipse of the Life Instinct

281 Pages·2007·2.228 MB·English

by  Charles Stewart

Dire Emotions and Lethal
Behaviors
Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviors explores the primary motivational system
in human beings. Based on the work of C. G. Jung, James Hillman, Louis
Stewart and Silvan Tomkins, Charles Stewart investigates the psychology of
the innate affects, with a focus towards the emotional motivation of
adolescents and young adults who have killed others, themselves, or both.
It is suggested that social isolation, dissociation of the personality, unbear-
able emotions, and possession by affects are necessary conditions for both
homicide and suicide. Stewart argues that these conditions result from deep-
seated emotional psychopathology which involves both the positive affects of
the life instinct – Interest and Joy, and the crisis affects – Fear, Anguish,
Anger, and Shame/Contempt.
Illustrated throughout with case studies of individuals who have commit-
ted homicide, suicide, or both, Dire Emotions and Lethal Behaviors aims to
discover the emotional motivations for such behaviors so that through educa-
tion and psychological treatment, such tragic outcomes can be prevented.
This book will be of interest to professionals and students in the fields of
mental health and criminal justice.
Charles T. Stewart is a Child Psychiatrist in private practice in Berkeley,
California. He has spent 25 years working in community mental health where
he directed programs, treated patients, and taught psychotherapy to trainees.

Dire Emotions and Lethal
Behaviors
Eclipse of the life instinct
Charles T. Stewart
First published 2008 by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an Informa business
Copyright © 2008 Charles T. Stewart
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
This publication has been produced with paper manufactured to
strict environmental standards and with pulp derived from
sustainable forests.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stewart, Charles T.
Dire emotions and lethal behaviors : eclipse of the life instinct /
Charles T. Stewart.
p. ; cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-415-40877-6 (hardback)
ISBN-10: 0-415-40877-6 (hardback)
ISBN-13: 978-0-415-40878-3 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 0-415-40878-4 (pbk.)
1. Emotions in adolescence. 2. Suicide – Psychology. 3. Teenagers –
Suicidal behavior. I. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Suicide – psychology. 2. Adolescent. 3. Adult. 4. Affect.
5. Homicide – psychology. WM 165 S849d 2007]
BF724.3.E5S7448 2007
155.5′124 – dc22 2007004420
ISBN 0-203-94587-5 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN: 978-0-415-40877-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-40878-3 (pbk)
To Louis H. Stewart

Contents
List of tables and plates ix
Foreword by John Beebe x
Preface xii
Acknowledgements xiii
Author’s note xv
Introduction 1
1 How the innate affects work 24
2 Optimal vs. violent expression of affect: a new way to
understand the emergence of each of these outcomes 37
3 Death and rebirth of the life instinct 70
4 Vivienne Loomis: suicide 91
5 Kipland Kinkel: killing of parents and others 111
6 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold: multiple homicides
followed by suicides 125
7 Sinedu Tadesse: homicide followed by suicide 153
8 Gloria: panic leading to homicide Peter: fury leading to
killing of mother and sisters 173
9 Little Father Time: homicides followed by suicide 182
viii Contents
10 Lethal conditions and psychological treatment 187
11 Epilogue 220
Bibliography 231
Index 241
Tables and plates
Tables
I.1 Constellation of the archetypal affects 9
2.1 Continuum of necessary conditions 40
2.2 Crisis affects, ego functions, and cultural attitudes 46
2.3 Emotional dialogues with others framed by Interest and Joy
vs. social isolation 67
2.4 Emotional dialogues with one’s self framed by Interest and
Joy vs. dissociation of the personality 67
2.5 Normal suffering vs. unbearable affect 67
2.6 Consciousness of affect vs. possession by affect 68
3.1 Tapestry of symbols 82
Plates
Plate E.1 Mirth 224
Plate E.2 The Great Sun 227
Plate E.3 The Lark 229